History Of Table Tennis Sport Term Papers Example

Introduction

Changes in the equipment
Initially, the game was quite simple and could be played at home with things easily available at home. The dining table suited perfectly to this purpose, and the ball was made of either a piece of rubber, threads rolled up to form a ball or cork. The books used to serve the purpose of net, lids of empty cigar boxes were the rackets and years later paddle was introduced which was made of parchment paper rolled around a frame. The game was popularly called ping pong because of the sound it made when it hit the table. It was considered amusing to most people. In England, it is even now popularly called “ping pong” (Hickok). Changes were kept on made and in England the ball was shaped into pimpled rubber ones and then celluloid shape ball then wooden paddles come in market. Different people made changes and further development in the equipment. The box sets can be purchased form Milton Bradley even today (Bradley). The ITTF considered changes as necessary so that Table Tennis remains a challenge to the people. They kept on making changes like spin and speed of the bat. The equipment is very seriously taken in considerations and rules are strictly followed.

Rules of Table Tennis Sport

ITTF’s Biennial Meeting only has the rights to make changes in the game(Djokić, Z., 2007). A change is introduced by agreement of at least hundred people on the board. The voting system is similar to the UN Security Council and only one person in the Association can stop the changes in rules.

The Table Tennis court is 20 feet by 40 feet in width and length, respectively.A relatively dark color shirt is worn by the players so that it is not reflective. Shoes should be very comfortable as quick movements are to be made in the game. They should allow flexible feet and ankle movement. Running shoes and forward movement shoes should be avoided.Players need to do a warm-up exercise before starting the game. The game starts with service. It involves holding the ball on the surface of the hand and then projecting it straight up in the air, not more than 16 cm. As the ball returns; the player strikes the ball towards the opponent side, the first hit on the table being at the opponent half of the table. The Umpire must be satisfied by the service and holds the right to repeat it. The game can be played in singles or doubles. In singles, the strikes occur between two players alternately. In doubles, there are two players on each side and each player has to make a return hit alternately. “Rally” is the term which describes the time the ball is in play. The game continues uninterrupted unless the umpire needs the service to be repeated, for a penalty on the player or any condition which compels the game to be interrupted.There are basic and advanced strokes in Table tennis. Basic strokes are the drive, the push, the block, the smash and the basic service techniques. Advanced strokes include the loop, the chop, the flip, the lob and advanced service technique. A score is made when opponent makes incorrect service, there is incorrect return by opponent, ball passes beyond end line when opponent strike, if opponent obstructs the ball, when opponent hits the ball twice in succession, if the surface of table is moved by opponent, the blade surface is not as per requirement, if the net assembly got touched by opponent, the free hand of opponent touches the table or if in doubles the sequence of player is not followed. The game ends when 11 points are made unless both players score 10 points. In this case, the player or a pair which makes 2 points first is the one to get the victory.

Equipment

There are 3 basic equipment that are required for a Table Tennis Sport: a racket, a ball, and a table. The paddle or racket must be flat and rigid and should have one surface black and other red. It can range in size and weight. 85% of the blade of the racket must be wood and the adhesive over it should not be thicker than 7.5% of the total thickness that is 0.35mm. The adhesive could be carbon fiber, glass fiber or compressed paper.The striking surface has a pimpled surface. The ball should be spherical in shape and must have 2.7 g weight. The ball has white or orange color and the color is selected according to light arrangements or could be according to the personal choice of the player. A good ball is a must even for practice. Ball with three stars is considered best quality ball.
The table should be rectangular with a flat surface, 9 feet or 2.74 meters in length and 5 feet or 1.525 meters in width. The height of the table should be 30 inches or 76 cm from the ground. The material on the table should be such that it encourages a bounce of 23 cm when a ball is dropped from 30 cm. A white line is drawn in the center of the table at equally half distance lengthwise.Sides of the table too have a white border, 2 cm wide all around. The net setup consists of a net, its suspension, supporting posts and clamps.A net is fixed in the center of the table and has a height of no more than 6 inches or 15.25 cm. The net should extend 6 inches or 15.25 cm beyond the table in width on both sides. However this is not compulsory.The bottom surface of the table should be kept as close as possible to the table. Where double tournaments are taking place; the center of the court is divided by a 3mm wide white line.

Grips

A good grip is very important in the game. There are two standard grips used to play Table Tennis. These are the shake hand grip and the pen hold grip. Shake hand grip is used by most professionals since 1998 till today. It allows strong forehand and backhand advantage, and paddle selection can be of any type. The paddle is gripped in the hands, and all the fingers hold it tight, with the thumb placed perpendicular to the index finger. The pen hold grip is also used by many. It involves holding the racket with thumb and index finger on one side and the rest of the finger on other side. Chinese or Japanese paddles are used for this type of grip. The difference is that the Chinese paddle has a shorter handle and Japanese has a raised or hooked handle. It has certain advantages; it can startle the opponent as its strokes differ from shake hand grip, and it allows a dominant forehand game.

The proposal to include Table Tennis in Olympics was first given in 1931(Guttmann, A., 2002). On 15th February, 1931 in Budapest a meeting was held, Annual General Meeting (AGM). ITTF did not a have a copy of discourse so the game could not be included that time. In 1932, its inclusion in Olympic was again discussed and AGM paragraph 8 stated that Table Tennis will be included in the Winter Olympics that were to be held in Berlin in 1936. All the countries were in favor of this except England.Then war broke out in 1939 and Table Tennis could not be included in Olympics of 1940 and 1944. After the war, considerations were again made regarding this issue. The ITTF Chairman, Ivor Montague, and British Olympic Committee were not in favor of this. They argued that if this sport is not accepted as an Olympic game then it will be a humiliation for the sport.It was not until 1980s that a final decision was made to include Table Tennis in Olympics. The 1981 International Olympic Committee gave this sport Olympics recognition. The first Table Tennis tournament in Olympics was held in 1988 in Seoul, Korea.It has shown great attraction of spectators and players in all the tournaments.

Comparison of psycho-socio-physiologic effects on youngsters and adults

Sports are very important in for psychological, social and physical growth of children. A child should be a jack of all. They should indulge themselves in enhancing their abilities and play sports. Each effect is described in detail. Sport nourishes the brain; it creates a healthy impact on children who learn to deal with up comings and likely shortcomings. The brain of elderly has achieved a maximum capacity, so it does not have such great on their mental. Sportsman spirit is required if the team wins or loses. Children are encouraged to play more so that their brain develops. Concentration is improved at work and for later studies. Children learn to think in a critical and logical way. The tricks learned or taught enable them to have better and practical thinking abilities. Social communication is increased in sports especially if they are played at an international level. Children learn to interact confidently in front of others. Sports also make the bone strong and hence prevents from injuries. Medically speaking, sports are the best way to treat obesity among children. These children are usually subjected to unhealthy food intake and a slow life. This prone them to get diabetes disease, cancer, and hypertension issue.

Conclusion

Like all the sports, Table Tennis started from crude practices and with time and recognition by countries it gained its rules and regulations. Many players at national and international level are playing Table Tennis and many courts are built for training and practice of this sport.Its tournament will be seen in the upcoming Olympics, 2016, too.

References

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Djokić, Z. (2007). ITTF scored a goal (changes of rules in table tennis during 2000-2003). In Proceedings book of 10th International Table Tennis Sports Science Congress (pp. 336-341).
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Guttmann, A. (2002). The Olympics: A history of the modern games. University of Illinois Press.
Hickok, R. (n.d.). "Table Tennis". Retrieved from Hickok Sports.com: http://www.hickoksports.com/history/tabltenn.shtml
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